Four students held for graffiti against Citizenship Act

Four college students were arrested in Gujarat's Vadodara district on Tuesday for allegedly making objectionable graffiti, which included the word 'Modi', to protest the new Citizenship Act, police said.

They made the 'swastika' sign with charcoal in place of 'o' in the word 'Modi', a police official said.

Two other persons were detained and they were being questioned, he said.

The miscreants defaced walls outside the police headquarters and a place of worship by writing "no CAB Modi" on Monday, he said.

They made the 'swastika' sign in place of 'o' in the word 'Modi', he added.

The 'swastika' is considered a symbol of good luck by Hindus, but it symbolises fascism in some western countries because of its adoption by the German Nazi party.

"We have arrested four persons, all college students. Two others have been detained and are being interrogated. We examined the CCTV footage to nab the accused after registering an FIR. They had made symbols along with slogans," Deputy Commissioner of Police Sandeep Chaudhary said.

An FIR was registered against the accused for "using provocative and humiliating words" to hurt sentiments of people from one community and cause violence, and also damaging public property, he said.

They were booked under IPC Sections 295 (defiling place of worship), 298 (uttering words with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 505 (1)(b)(c) (intent to incite any class or communityto commit any offence against any other class or community), and 505 (2) (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill will). The accused were also charged under sections of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, the police added.